![]() It may surprise you to know that bones create a mild electric field during their growth. Obviously, non-union is not the outcome that we want for spinal fusion patients. Sometimes, an otherwise healthy patient will fail to fuse: think of Peyton Manning, famous Quarter-Back for the Colts and Broncos, who had a failed cervical fusion. The most common reasons for non-union are: 1) the patient smokes 2) they have multi-level fusion surgery 3) they have severe spondylolisthesis (bone slippage) 4) they have had a previous spine fusion that failed 5) they have other medical conditions, such as alcoholism, obesity or diabetes that can stunt bone healing, leading to non-fusion. Sometimes, bones don’t heal and join together properly after a spinal fusion surgery. The fusion is often stabilized by screws, plates and/or rods that I affix to give the spine added support while it heals. This provides stability to the bones and they don’t move anymore, which may have caused pain prior to surgery. ![]() I know that over time, the bone fragments will join the two vertebrae above and below into one fused bone, where previously there were two bones. In a spinal fusion procedure, I remove most or all of the spinal disc and put bone fragments in the space where the disc once was. The normal outcome of this surgery, spinal fusion, is a great example of how bones heal over time. In my practice as a Spine Specialist, I often operate on patients who need to have a spinal fusion because of a herniated disc or other problem that is causing them pain and dysfunction. Bones which are surgically cut, drilled or altered will normally heal over time. This same repair process can be relied upon after Orthopaedic surgery. The previously broken bones typically fuse together and the person can participate in activities as they did before the fracture happened. For simple fractures, the bones will join together in six to twelve weeks and the cast can be removed. An Orthopaedic Specialist can realign the broken bones properly and then apply a plaster cast to provide a stable support structure while healing occurs. Think of a person who has a broken arm or leg. However, bone repair and regeneration will continue to occur over the course of our lifetime. ![]() At some point in late adolescence or early adulthood, our bones stop lengthening and we reach our maximum height. From birth, our bones grow and strengthen according to the genetic code passed along to us from our parents. The process by which they do so is called osteogenesis, literally “bone beginning”. The bones in our bodies are living tissue and they can grow and repair themselves when broken or damaged. ![]()
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